Blurred vision
ANNA Ford may have once likened Question Time host David Dimbleby to a “charming dinosaur” – but the TV veteran is still one of the most assured broadcasters of his generation whose lifetime of insight into state occasions and politics was sorely missed during the BBC’s disastrous coverage of the River Thames pageant to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee a year ago.
As such, Mr Dimbleby – and also Ms Ford – are right when they accuse the BBC of demeaning older women because overpaid TV executives hold the misguided belief that gravitas is no substitute for the youthful appeal of fresh-faced presenters.
Given Britain’s changing demographics, it is naive of the BBC to concentrate, almost exclusively at times, on securing a younger audience when the age profile of society is increasing. And, furthermore, it is perverse to marginalise talented presenters – like North Yorkshire’s Selina Scott – when the familiarity of such experienced broadcasters is likely to increase viewing figures, the test that every programme needs to pass.